(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to aquarium devices and, more particularly, to desktop aquarium devices with enhanced water filtration.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
People, as terrestrials, are constantly curious about the underwater world and aquatics. Therefore, aquatic cultivation mainly for the purpose of viewing and appreciation has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years. A conventional aquarium device 1 for observing aquatics and their activities, as shown in FIG. 1, usually contains a transparent tank 11, a water pump 12, a sump 13, and an air pump 14, all at the top of the tank 11. At the bottom of the tank 11, there are sand and stones 15 for landscaping.
To use the aquarium device 1, the sand and stones 15 are first laid at the bottom of the tank 11. The sump 13 is then installed at the top of the tank 11, and the water pump 12 is fixedly attached to the sump 13. When the foregoing components are at their places, the tank 11 is filled with an appropriate amount of water and electricity is supplied to activate the water pump 12. A water inlet 121 is extended from the bottom of the water pump 12 and into the tank 11 for a distance. When the water pump 12 is running, the water inside the tank 11 is pumped through the water inlet 121 and the water outlet 122, and into the sump 13. The sump 13 has several layers of skimmers 131 made of filtering cotton, active carbon, etc. The water pumped from the tank 11 by the water pump 12 is filtered by the skimmers 131 to remove debris such as remnants of feed and aquatic waste. The filtered water then flows back to the tank 11 via the water outlet 132 at the bottom of the sump 13. The air pump 14 at the top of the tank 11 supplies air into the water through an air outlet 141 buried in the sand and stones 15, so that the water in the tank 11 has enough dissolved oxygen for the aquatics to breathe.
The aquarium device 1, with the operation of the water pump 12 and the sump 13 to keep the water in the tank 11 clean, is able to provide an adequate environment for the aquatics. When the skimmers 131 of the sump 13 are not able to filter the water effectively, they are removed from the sump 13 and replaced with new skimmers 131. The sump 13 then recovers its filtering capability. The conventional aquarium devices have the following shortcomings.
First, the water in the tank 11 does not circulate well enough due to the limited pumping capability of the water pump 12, thereby, causing dead spaces (where water does not circulate) to develop inside the tank 11. These dead spaces would result in insufficient dissolved oxygen, which in turn would breed anaerobes, threatening the aquatics' health. When the amount of anaerobes is around 0.1 PPM, a stink that would compromise the health of the aquatics would be produced.
Secondly, the skimmers 131 in the sump 13 have a planar contact with the water. The skimmers 131 could not shatter the water to expel the stink and therefore the tank 11 requires frequent water replacement to maintain the water's cleanness. However, water replacement involves a significant amount of work. Additionally, aquatics are often hurt during the replacement process.
Accordingly, there is a need for a better aquarium device so that aquatic cultivation can be more convenient and simplified.